1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to male coaxial cable connectors operable for electrically connecting a coaxial cable to a mating female port, and, more particularly, to a male coaxial cable connector having a viewing port to enable the installer to visually determine when the prepared end of a coaxial cable is fully inserted into the connector prior to the attachment of the cable thereto.
2. Prior Art
Connectors adapted to form a secure, electrically conductive connection between a coaxial cable and a threaded female port have been developed. Such prior art connectors are discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,383 to Holland et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,446, U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,830 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,194 to Montena, U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,605 to Ming-Hua, U.S. Pat. No. U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,749 to Hemmer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,964 to Forney, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,861 to Stirling, U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,129 to Szegda, U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,005 to French and U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,699 to Holliday. U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,191 to Burris, discusses prior art efforts to provide a coaxial connector which is moisture-proof and minimizes radiative loss of signal from the cable. A radial compression type of coaxial cable connector of the type generally used today, is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,651 to Szegda, and the disclosure of Szegda '651 relating to radial compression coaxial cable connectors is incorporated herein by reference thereto.
While the innovative plethora of prior art connectors, some of which are disclosed above, provide improved moisture sealing and/or RF leakage characteristics, all have inherent limitations. For example, the integrity of the attachment between the cable and connector is “craft sensitive”, depending on the skill of the installer. The steps required in order to provide a secure, sealing engagement between a connector and a coaxial cable include opportunities for installation errors to occur. Installation of a coaxial cable connector on a coaxial cable requires that the end of the cable first be prepared to receive the connector. The connector is then manually forced onto the prepared end of the cable until the protective jacket and underlying conductive braid of the cable are separated from the dielectric core of the cable. The cable is further advanced into the connector by hand, which requires the application of substantial force by the installer, until the correct depth of insertion is attained. Finally, the connector is securely affixed to the cable by compressing the connector, again by hand, with a compression tool.
With most prior art connectors, during the compression step, the cable jacket and conductive braid are compressed against an annular barb disposed on the outer surface of an underlying tubular shank during the final several millimeters of compressive travel. If the installer fails to completely compress the connector, especially in the final 20 percent of the compressive range, the connector may come loose. In addition, if the cable is not fully inserted into the conduit, the connector may come loose and/or the electrical connection may fail.
In the case of F-type connectors, the prepared end of the cable is usually visible through the connector nut. In the case of BNC, SMB, MCX, RCA and other connectors, the trailing end of the connector nut is sealed and the prepared end of the cable (i.e., the portion of the prepared end that includes the exposed portion of the dielectric core) is not visible when inserted into the connector conduit. The correct positioning of the cable within the connector prior to attachment of the connector to the cable is done by “feel”. The skilled artisan will appreciate that it would be an advancement in the art to provide a male coaxial cable connector, particularly a connector operable for attachment to BNC and RCA-type female fittings, wherein the correct positioning of the prepared end of the cable within the connector conduit can be verified by visual inspection prior to the compression step.